The Atlanta Braves have finally seemed to accept that they need to sell at the trade deadline. While no one should expect a fire sale, the Braves trading pending free agents makes all the sense in the world with this season not going anywhere. Unfortunately, most of those trade candidates are struggling bullpen arms of questionable value. However, the value of those arms may have just gone up a bit.
There are always a lot of bullpen arms on the market at the trade deadline, but the top of that market often dictates how in-demand relievers are. While there was some reporting that the Orioles were not interested in trading closer Felix Bautista, he has been generally regarded as one of the top potentially available relievers alongside the Twins’ Jhoan Duran and the Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase.
That list just got shorter on Thursday as Baltimore announced Bautista is headed for the injured list with some shoulder troubles. While that is truly crummy news for Bautista and the Orioles, it could have some benefits for the Braves at the deadline this year.
Felix Bautista’s injury may have just the bullpen trade market to the Braves’ benefit
The trade deadline is all about supply and demand. The Braves certainly have some supply of available relievers in Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Rafael Montero (at least), but it was unclear if there was going to be enough demand for Atlanta to fully capitalize on the market with so many top end options potentially available.
Bautista’s injury likely removes any chance he gets traded at the deadline. With Duran also far from a sure thing to get traded, the supply of relievers one would want took a big hit and Atlanta’s cost effective options could hold a lot of appeal to contenders in need of bullpen help.
Of course, this assuming that the market values Iglesias’ track record more than his 2025 struggles and that they view Montero more highly than they should. Still, this is the time of year when weird moves can happen and the chances that the Braves can benefit just got a boost.
